At its Thursday meeting, the Harford County Board of Estimates approved a contract for an in-depth traffic study of Route 22 between Bel Air and Aberdeen.
The mounting congestion on Route 22 has been getting attention from the State Highway Administration, as well as Harford County government, both which say are trying to develop solutions for the problem.
Estimates board members approved a $254,143.57 contract with the engineering firm Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc. to study the corridor and evaluate how to deal with the traffic long term.
Alex Rawls, a planner with the Land Use and Transportation Planning Section of the county's Department of Planning Zoning, explained that this study will be unlike any other study conducted before and offer a "fresh approach" to the traffic issue.
It will look at short-term, mid-term and long-term solutions to the problem, he added, and not just try to find a quick fix.
Rawls also told the board that 80 percent of the study will be federally funded and the county will be responsible for the remaining 20 percent.
For two decades county officials have had difficulty agreeing among themselves how to approach a comprehensive solution to the problem of increased traffic between Route 543 east of Bel Air and I-95 in Aberdeen, where most the state-owned highway is one lane in each direction.
State officials have long claimed the county's inability to come up with a united front among various interest groups affected by any future widening has led the SHA to essentially do very little about the congestion program.
Other contracts
Board members also approved a variety of other contracts, including one to Isobunkers, L. L. C. for fuel, with a not to exceed amount of $3.3 million.
Fleet Manager Warren Patrick, of the Department of Procurement, said that the cost would cover the entire county government, including the Harford County Sheriff Office.
Procurement Director Deborah Henderson added that money was already budgeted for the fuel contract and this order sets up an account they can pull from year round.
Patrick also requested funding for three different purchase orders, one of which being the purchase of five dump trucks from Hickory International at $649,325. That was approved, as well as a contract for 10 new Ford Crown Victorias from Apple Ford at $220,562 to replace "unreliable and unsafe" sheriff's patrol units.
Board members also approved $58,723 to Hertrich Fleet Services for two Class 2 trucks for the water and sewer department.
An contract was approved with Ewing, Inc. at $262,000 per year to transport leachate from the Harford Waste Disposal Center in Scarboro to Sod Run Wastewater Treatment Plant in Perryman where the material will be treated and disposed. The contract term is for one year with two option years.
The board also awarded a contract for $111,162.17 to Nolan Associates Inc./Whitney, Bailey, Cox & Magnani, LLC Joint Venture for the inspection of bridges throughout the county.
Chief Highway Engineer Jeff Stratmeyer said that the county is required to inspect bridges that are more than twenty feet long in a clear span every two years. The project is 100 percent federally funded, he added, and would apply to around 80 bridges in the county.
Board member Jay Van Deusen voted against the contract.
A change order for $90,000 was approved to DiDonato Consulting Services, Inc. to extend the original contract by one year for CMARC Phase III consulting. The extension, Manger Mitch Vocke of Emergency Operations said, is fully funded by grants and the contract is to develop a region-wide wireless radio system for county public safety.
"This will allow all county agencies to be able to talk to each other during an emergency," Vocke added.
The board also approved contracts of $89,973.68 to Proshot Concrete, Inc. for repairs to five deteriorated culverts, $83,533.50 to Baltimore Pile Driving & Marine Construction, Inc. for the construction of a baseball field at Prospect Mill Park and $50,310 to General Sales Administration T/A Major Police Supply for 117 vehicle consoles for Harford County Sheriff vehicles.